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arch is a problematic month no matter where you live, but in Oklahoma, it seems as if nature is at its trickiest during this month of changes. The mercury fl ies up and down the thermometer, and prairie winds blow until you’re sure the trees will never grow

straight again. In spite of March’s fi ckle ways, spring eventually does come. If you want a beautiful spring garden, think of your landscape as layers of shape, texture and color. Blooming trees and shrubs are the fi rst layer. Bulbs and hellebores make up the garden’s second layer, and low-growing pansies and violas are the third. Fruit trees look like girls in prom dresses when they begin blooming in spring. It’s easy to see why people fall for fruit trees even if they don’t want a bushel of peaches or pears. If you only want blooms, plant trees with small persistent fruit that remains on the tree, or try a blooming tree that doesn’t set fruit. Deciduous magnolias fall into the latter category. They bloom before they leaf out, and may be ruined by a late freeze; but, in the years they do bloom, there is nothing quite like their garden presence. These trees should be sited in a special place in your garden, and they are hardier than their cousin, the southern magnolia. Still, if you have room for a southern magnolia, especially one of the smaller cultivars like ‘Little Gem’ or ‘Teddy Bear,’ they are worthy too. When considering blooming trees, don’t forget our state tree, Cercis renifor-

mis ‘Oklahoma’ (Oklahoma redbud). There are several other selections, but I have always loved the one named after our state. If you plant a redbud, choose a site with sandy and moist soil. In the wild, redbuds grow near damp stream- beds. Clay soil will quickly kill them. Native sand plums have similar requirements. My favorite spring fl owering shrub is Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ (Mellow

Yellow) spirea. It will provide three seasons of color, and it blooms white in spring with chartreuse foliage, a pretty combination with narcissus. As in all seasons, it’s best to think ahead. In fall, plant spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus and tiny Scilla siberica, which bloom in a hue to match the sky. Spring is all about bulbs, those darling, deer-and-rodent-proof daffodils and their friends, the crocus. Don’t forget tulips either. If you worry about voles and moles, plant your tulips in large containers. You can place these throughout the garden for a quick spot of cheerful color. Hellebores have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years—so many colors and seed strains to choose from. Add these to your garden, and you’ll fi nd them easy. They don’t mind dry soil and thrive beneath shade trees if soil is well drained. Just remove dead foliage in late winter for new growth to shine. You can now fi nd hellebores in a variety of colors. Note that the lighter yellows, whites and pinks show up best in the shade.

Beneath the bulbs is your third layer of violas and pansies. These plants,

which are really kissing cousins, each have their place in the landscape. Pansies tend to have larger fl owers while violas often grow in mounding forms. In the last few years, hybridizers have worked hard to make pansies more cold tolerant with a spreading habit. Cool Wave pansies not only look great in the garden bed, they are also pretty in containers. Plentifall and Freefall are spreading pansies from other companies. As spring bloomers go through their season of delight, be looking ahead to summer. You can grow many summer-blooming bulbs planted once temperatures warm after April 20. However, buy those summer bulbs now: the gladiolus, Byzantine glads, cannas and dahlias. If you wait too long, you’ll miss out.

Gardeners are ever optimistic, always looking ahead to the next season. Planning ahead is what makes the garden happen, one layer at a time.